Imagination Matters: How to Raise Creative Children in a Screen-Obsessed World
Some children excel early, only to see their creativity fade. Others keep imagining, building, questioning and growing into the so-called geniuses we admire. It’s easy to assume it all comes down to talent, but more often, it’s about how creativity is nurtured from the very beginning of childhood.
Creativity is often viewed as one of the most valuable traits a person can possess. It fuels innovation, drives problem-solving, and can be a source of joy and fulfillment. However, research shows that while children exhibit a natural sense of wonder and creativity, this tendency often diminishes as they grow older, especially during adulthood. This decline in creativity is not necessarily due to a lack of ability, but can be attributed to the constraints and pressures of society, education, and professional life that stifle creative expression.
Raising creative children, therefore, requires conscious effort, encouragement, and support. Fostering an environment where creativity is nurtured from a young age has lifelong benefits. It not only helps children thrive in artistic pursuits, but also shapes them into adaptable, innovative problem solvers—fundamentally changing how they approach work and life.
Let’s take a closer look at why creativity fades as we grow up, why it matters more than ever, and how parents and caregivers can help nurture it in children.
Why Creativity
Declines in Adulthood
Before we explore how to nurture creativity in children, it’s helpful to understand why creativity tends to fade as people reach adulthood. George Land, a researcher and author, conducted a famous longitudinal study in the 1960s to explore creativity and divergent thinking in children.
He used a test originally developed for NASA to identify innovative engineers and scientists—this time, to measure children’s natural creative potential and how it changes over time. He tested the same group at three stages. The results were startling: at age five, 98% of the children scored at the “highly creative” (genius) level. By age ten, that number dropped to 30%. At fifteen, it fell further to just 12%. When the same test was given to adults, only 2% reached the same level of creative thinking.
Land concluded that “non-creative behavior is learned,” suggesting that somewhere along the way, our environments and systems are training creativity out of us. The sharp decline from nearly all young children testing as highly creative to just a sliver of adults offers a powerful glimpse into the problem at hand. Which makes one thing clear: the education system plays a major role. Traditional schooling often prioritizes conformity, standardized testing, and rigid structures over the open-ended thinking that encourages creative expression. From a young age, children are taught to memorize facts, follow rules, and answer in one specific way, leaving little room for imaginative thinking or personal exploration.
As children grow, societal expectations start to shape and often limit their creativity. The pressure to succeed in specific career paths or conform to certain social norms can overshadow the value of creativity. Adults are often expected to focus on practical matters—financial stability, career progression, and meeting conventional goals leaving little time for creative pursuits. This shift from exploration to practicality can lead to the gradual erosion of creative thinking.
But here’s another interesting factor in young children: fear of failure or rather, the lack of it. Unlike adults, kids aren’t usually afraid to make mistakes. They see failure as part of the learning process and are often more open to taking risks. As adults, the fear of failure becomes more prominent, which can discourage people from engaging in creative activities that involve uncertainty or risk.
"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original"
- Sir Ken Robinson
The Importance
of Creativity
Creativity is not just about artistic ability; it is a vital cognitive skill that impacts almost every aspect of life. A creative child learns how to think outside the box, approach problems from different angles, and see connections between unrelated ideas. These abilities are crucial in all areas of life, from solving complex academic problems to navigating interpersonal relationships and handling challenges in the workplace.
Research has shown that children who engage in creative activities tend to have better problem-solving abilities, improved critical thinking skills, and higher emotional intelligence. They also exhibit greater flexibility and adaptability, which are essential qualities in today’s rapidly changing world.
Creativity is also deeply tied to emotional health. Engaging in creative activities allows children to express themselves in ways that words cannot always capture. It provides an outlet for their emotions, helping them cope with stress, anxiety, and other difficult feelings. Moreover, creative expression can boost self-esteem and encourage a sense of accomplishment and confidence.
Practical Strategies
for Raising Creative
Children
In a fast-changing world, some truths about fostering creativity remain timeless. Much of the research on child development may be decades old, but it remains relevant because it addresses fundamental human behaviors, psychological processes, and developmental needs. These studies, including those by Lev Vygotsky, Teresa Amabile, and E. Paul Torrance has stood the test of time, offering enduring insights into how children learn, think, and innovate.
Drawing on this body of work, alongside more recent perspectives, we’ve compiled evidence-based strategies that remain as applicable today as when they were first published.
Here’s what the research tells us about how to nurture creativity and curiosity in kids.
Encourage Open-Ended
Play and Exploration
Children need to feel safe to fail in order to become creative. If they fear making mistakes, they will hesitate to try new things and explore unfamiliar ideas. Encouraging a growth mindset is essential in nurturing creativity. Praise effort, not just success, and emphasize the learning process rather than the outcome.
When a child makes a mistake, instead of reprimanding them, ask them questions that promote reflection and growth. For example, you might say, "What could you try differently next time?" or "What did you learn from that experience?" This helps children understand that mistakes are a natural part of the creative process, and they can be valuable learning experiences. This study by Sara W. Russ puts it into perspective.
Expose Kids to Creative Role Models
Children often learn by observing the behavior of the adults around them. Being a creative role model for your child can inspire them to embrace their own creativity. Share your creative projects with them, whether it's painting, writing, playing an instrument, or problem-solving in your daily life. Show them that creativity is not just for artists—it’s a mindset that can be applied in all areas of life.
Encouraging your child to engage with other creative role models is also important. This could be through exposure to other artists, inventors, entrepreneurs, or scientists who have used their creativity to make an impact in the world. You can also introduce them to literature and stories that emphasize creative thinking, such as fairy tales, biographies, or books about famous inventors.
Foster Intrinsic Motivation and Passion
Curiosity is the foundation of creativity. When children ask questions about the world around them, they are engaging in a process of exploration that can lead to new ideas and discoveries.
Parents and caregivers can foster curiosity by providing opportunities for children to explore different subjects and experiences. Take them to museums, nature reserves, art galleries, or science centers. Let them participate in activities like cooking, gardening, or woodworking that expose them to new skills and concepts. Ask questions that stimulate thinking—such as "What do you think would happen if...?" or "How could we solve this problem in a new way?" to encourage children to think creatively about their surroundings.
Praise effort, curiosity, and resilience rather than outcomes. Encourage children to pursue their interests, helping them find their “element,” as Ken Robinson describes it. You can read more in the study “The Psychology of Creativity.”
Expose Children to
Arts and Sciences
Encourage children to engage in both artistic and scientific endeavors. Multidisciplinary activities foster cognitive flexibility and divergent thinking.
The integration of arts into scientific disciplines has been shown to significantly enhance creativity, innovation, and overall scientific success. This relationship is exemplified in the study "Arts Foster Scientific Success," which examined the extracurricular artistic activities of Nobel Prize winners and members of esteemed scientific societies.
In fact, Nobel laureates were up to 25 times more likely to engage in the arts than the average scientist—suggesting that creativity in one space often feeds into another.
It’s a reminder that innovation rarely happens in isolation and that curiosity, in all its forms, matters. For more check this article To what extent is Art important to scientists ?
Encourage Problem-Solving and Independent Thinking
Creativity thrives when children are encouraged to think for themselves. Provide opportunities for them to solve problems on their own, without always giving them the answers. Encourage brainstorming and help them come up with multiple solutions to a problem. This not only fosters creativity but also builds confidence and resilience.
Challenge your child with tasks that require critical thinking and creative solutions, such as puzzles, games, or activities that require inventiveness. By developing these skills early on, children learn how to approach challenges with a creative mindset, which will serve them well throughout their lives.
Create a Stimulating Environment
The environment in which a child grows up plays a significant role in their creative development. A stimulating environment provides a variety of materials and experiences that promote creativity. This could include art supplies, musical instruments, books, and access to outdoor spaces. Ensure that your home is filled with items that encourage creative expression, such as open-ended toys, a quiet reading nook, or a space for crafting.
It’s also important to create an environment that values and supports creativity. Offer praise for creative endeavors, and make time for artistic or inventive activities. Whether it’s drawing, building, writing, or experimenting with new ideas, ensure your child knows that creativity is valued and celebrated in your home.
Balancing Talent and Creativity
While giftedness shines in childhood, creativity drives long-term success. By fostering curiosity, passion, and a willingness to fail, parents prepare their children to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world. Creativity ensures that children can not only solve existing problems but also imagine and create solutions to challenges yet to come.
Raising the Next Generation of
Problem-Solvers
Giving children room for open-ended play, space to make mistakes, and exposure to creative role models helps lay the groundwork for long-term curiosity and resilience. These small, everyday actions encourage a mindset that sees problems as starting points not roadblocks. And while creativity often gets tied to childhood or the arts, it’s far more universal than that. It’s a lifelong tool for navigating uncertainty, building ideas, and imagining better ways forward.
For today’s children, growing up in a world that’s fast-moving and unpredictable—creative thinking will be essential.
Not just for success, but for understanding, adapting, and contributing meaningfully to whatever comes next. By supporting the creative growth of children today, we are helping to build a future filled with innovative thinkers, problem-solvers, and individuals who are unafraid to imagine new possibilities.
“Creativity is more than a skill—it’s a way of seeing the world”.
Written by mimoza Maliqi
Mimoza Maliqi is a seasoned marketer with a sharp eye for storytelling and strategy. At TOML Collective, she runs the show on all things marketing and helps shape the TOML Journal, where she crafts stories that are honest, insightful, and occasionally unexpected. Reach her at mimoza@tomlcollective.com.